Easy Access Footwear with Zipper Closure

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear includes: a main body, a heel portion coupled to the main body using an attachment feature that allows the heel portion to move about an axis, and a zipper closure that secures the heel portion in a closed position relative to the main body. An easy access shoe includes: a main body, a heel portion coupled to the main body, where the heel portion is able to be selectively positioned to allow a size of an access opening formed between the main body and the heel portion to be selectively increased or decreased, and a zipper closure that secures the heel portion to the main body. A shoe includes: a main body, a first hinge section coupled to the main body, a second hinge section coupled to the first hinge section and a heel, and a zipper closure that couples the heel to the main body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/315,710, filed on Jun. 26, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many footwear users may have difficulty putting on and/or taking offfootwear for various different reasons. For instance, children may notbe able to manipulate laces or other fastening elements. As anotherexample, the elderly may suffer from reduced dexterity, strength,sensation, vision, balance, and/or flexibility that make it difficult touse conventional footwear. In addition, various users may prefer theease of donning/doffing footwear without having to deal with the timeand efforts of a conventional shoe. Various caregivers may also betasked with putting on or removing footwear and may find it difficult tomanipulate various fastening mechanisms or easily place the footwearonto the foot of the user or to remove the footwear from the foot.

Therefore there exists a need for an easy access shoe that allows usersand/or caregivers to more easily put on and/or take off footwear.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments may provide easy access footwear. The footwear mayinclude a main body and a heel section. The heel may be able to be movedrelative to the main body. In some embodiments, the heel may be able torotate about an axis that is perpendicular to a sole of the footwear.When putting on or taking off the footwear, the heel may be moved awayfrom the body to form a larger opening than a standard shoe. Whenwearing the footwear, the heel may be secured in place using a strap orother appropriate feature.

Some embodiments may include a zipper closure that runs along the heel.The zipper closure may include an interior lining that protects thewearer from the zipper.

The shoe may include various other features that improve usability forthose with physical limitations. Such features may include, forinstance, a fixed tongue, manipulation loops, non-slip sole, and a wideoutsole for increased stability.

The preceding Brief Summary is intended to serve as a brief introductionto various features of some exemplary embodiments of the invention.Other embodiments may be implemented in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appendedclaims. However, for purpose of explanation, several embodiments of theinvention are set forth in the following drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an easy access shoe according to anexemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the shoe of FIG. 1 in an “open”position;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1 in theopen position;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1 in theopen position;

FIG. 7 illustrates a rear perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1 in theopen position;

FIG. 8 illustrates a rear view of the shoe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 illustrates a rear view of the shoe of FIG. 1 in the openposition;

FIG. 10 illustrates a rear perspective view of a first alternative easyaccess shoe in the open position;

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of a second alternative easy access shoe;

FIG. 12 illustrates a rear view of a third alternative easy access shoe;

FIG. 13 illustrates a rear perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 illustrates a rear view of the shoe of FIG. 12 in a closedposition;

FIG. 15 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 12 witha contrasting zipper head; and

FIG. 17 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 12with an alternative closure element and an exemplary sole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,as the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be usedindependently of one another or in combination with other features.Broadly, some embodiments of the present invention generally provideeasy access footwear. Such footwear may allow users and/or caregivers tomore easily put on and take off the footwear.

Throughout the specification, the term “shoe” may be used to refer toany type of footwear such as sneakers, dress shoes, boots, sandals, etc.The term “hinge” may be used to refer to any set of components thatallows rotational movement among two or more elements. Various featureswill be described from the perspective of a wearer (e.g., a top viewindicates the view of a wearer looking down at the shoes being worn asthe wearer stands upright). The term “sole” may refer to the bottomsurface of a shoe and may be assumed to be a plane that defines ahorizontal axis in reference to the shoe features. In addition, althoughsome features may be described as parallel or perpendicular to otherfeatures, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand thatdifferent embodiments may be implemented with slightly differentalignments than those described (e.g., due to style of shoe, exteriorfeatures, etc.).

A first exemplary embodiment provides an article of footwear including:a main body; a heel portion coupled to the main body using an attachmentfeature that allows the heel portion to move about an axis; and a zipperclosure that secures the heel portion in a closed position relative tothe main body.

A second exemplary embodiment provides an easy access shoe including: amain body; a heel portion coupled to the main body, where the heelportion is able to be selectively positioned to allow a size of anaccess opening formed between the main body and the heel portion to beselectively increased or decreased; and a zipper closure that securesthe heel portion to the main body in a closed position.

A third exemplary embodiment provides a shoe having: a main body; afirst hinge section coupled to the main body; a second hinge sectioncoupled to the first hinge section and a heel; and a zipper closure thatcouples the heel to the main body in a closed position.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an easy access shoe 100 according to anexemplary embodiment of the invention. Specifically, this figure showsthe shoe in a “closed” position such as would be used when the shoe isworn by a user (or “wearer”). As shown, the shoe may include a main body110, a heel portion 120, a movable attachment feature 130, and afastener 140.

The main body 110 of the shoe 100 may include elements found in variousdifferent types of footwear, such as an upper with a tongue, laces,straps, and/or other appropriate elements, a sole, an insole, etc.Different embodiments may include different specific elements or typesof elements depending on the type of footwear (e.g., athletic shoes,dress shoes, lace-up shoes, slip-on shoes, boots, sandals, etc.).

The heel portion 120 may generally be implemented as a “U” shapedelement that is able to be coupled to the body 110 to form a completeunit of footwear that is able to be worn by a user when in the closedposition. As shown, the heel portion 120 may extend from an outside wallof the main body 110 to an inside wall of the main body. In thisexample, the outside wall is on the right and the inside wall is on theleft of the right shoe 100 as viewed from above. In this context,“inside” and “outside” refer to the relative position of the shoe on awearer rather than to the interior and exterior of the shoe itself. Asshown, the heel 120 may be symmetrical about a center line (not shown)that runs vertically down the shoe 100 in the view of FIG. 1.

The attachment feature 130 may be a connecting feature that allows theheel 120 to be movably coupled to the body 110. The connecting featuremay include, for instance, a hinge (e.g., a plate hinge, a hinge formedby a rod or post extending through a portion of a heel section that isable to be received by an appropriate hole or socket in the main body, asection of fabric or other pliable material, etc.), a strap, a post,and/or other appropriate elements that may allow the heel 120 to bemoved relative to the body 110.

The fastener 140 may allow the heel 140 to selectively be fixed in theclosed position or the open position relative to the body 110. Such afastener may include, for instance, one or more straps, latches (e.g., abutt-joint panel latch, a coffin lock, a post and hole latch, etc.),buttons, buckles, magnets, clips, and/or other appropriate elements thatmay allow the heel 120 to be securely held in place in the closedposition. The fastener 140 may be configured such that the feature iseasily manipulated without requiring fine motor skills, vision,sensation, flexibility, strength, and/or energy.

In addition to the attachment feature 130 and fastener 140 describedabove, the heel may be attached to the body in various other appropriateways (e.g., fabric or other interior or exterior surface materials orstructural materials of the shoe body may be stitched to the similarmaterials on the heel, various adhesive elements may be used to attachportions of the heel to the body, the heel may be at least partiallysecured to the body using one or more elastic straps, etc.).

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the shoe 100 in an “open” position.Such an open position may allow a wearer's foot to be placed into (orremoved from) the shoe by allowing the foot to enter or exit the shoebody 110 via the rear opening (or “access opening”) formed when the heel120 is in the open position. As shown, the side-to-side extension of theheel may allow for the largest possible width rear opening.

Different embodiments may allow the heel 120 to be moved in variousdifferent ways in order to form an easy access opening. For instance, asshown, the heel may be able to rotate away from the back of the shoe 100on one side. As another example, the heel 120 may be able to be detachedfrom the shoe on both sides and moved back away from the body 110. Asstill another example, the heel 120 may be able to be rotated down andback from the body 110 using a hinge with an axis of rotation parallelto the sole of the shoe 100. The symmetrical heel 120 configuration mayallow easy access, as the shoe 100 is able to provide a completelyunobstructed path such that the shoe may be able to be placed on thewearer's foot. Configurations where the heel is not symmetrical aboutthe center of the shoe (e.g., if the hinge was located at the rear ofthe shoe along the center line (not shown), provide a partiallyobstructed path that may make it difficult for some users to wear theshoe.

In this example, the fastener 140 includes a fixed loop 210 and a strap220. The fixed loop 210 may be secured to the heel portion 120 and thestrap 220 may be selectively passed through the loop 210 and secured toitself (e.g., using a hook-and-loop strap).

Alternatively, the fastener 140 may be implemented integrally to theattachment feature 130. For instance, the attachment feature may includea locking spring hinge that is able to lock into an open or closedposition. Such an element may be moved from one position to the otherby, for instance, applying a threshold force sufficient to dislodge theelement from a first position. The element may then allow the heel 120to move between the open and closed position before being locked in thedesired position by application of a similar threshold force.

Different embodiments may implement the feature 140 in various differentways. For instance, some embodiments may attach a loop to the body ofthe shoe and a strap to the heel portion. As another example, someembodiments may include a pair of fasteners, with one located on eachside of the heel 210. In such embodiments, the attachment feature 130may be omitted such that the heel 120 may be moved away from (or securedto) the rear of the body 110 using the pair of fasteners.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the shoe 100. FIG. 4illustrates a front perspective view of the shoe 100 in the openposition.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe 100. FIG. 6illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe 100 in the openposition.

As shown, the shoe may include an additional securing or stabilityfeature 500. The stability feature may include a vertical strap 610 thatis able to be attached to an attachment region 620. The vertical strap610 and attachment region 620 may be implemented using, for example,hook-and-loop material. Different embodiments may include differentand/or additional stability features. The stability feature(s) may helpprovide additional support for a user when the shoe is in the closedposition by helping to secure the heel to the main body.

FIG. 7 illustrates a rear perspective view of the shoe 100 in the openposition. As shown, the shoe may include a hinge 710 or otherappropriate attachment feature, a tongue 720, body coupling regions 730and heel coupling regions 740.

The hinge 710 may include a rotationally movable element as shown andvarious attachment features (not shown) that may allow the hinge to beattached to the body 110 and the heel 120. Such attachment features mayinclude plates or tabs extending from the rotationally movable elementthat may be attached to the body 110 or heel 120 in various appropriateways (e.g., using adhesives, by sewing the attachment features into theshow sections, etc.). The hinge 710 or other connecting feature may bemade of various appropriate materials (e.g., metal, plastic, etc.).

The tongue 720 of some embodiments may be configured to be immobile suchthat the tongue is not able to move away from the top of the shoe 100.In this way, a user does not have to position or hold the fixed tongue720 when putting on the shoe 100. Other styles of shoe (e.g., shoeshaving straps or other features rather than tongues) may be configuredin a similar manner such that an unimpeded opening is formed with theshoe is in the open position.

The coupling regions 730-740 may allow the heel 120 and body 110 to besecurely fastened together when the shoe is in the closed position. Insome embodiments, the coupling regions may include concave regions onthe body and convex regions on the shoe (or vice versa). The couplingregions may fit together in various appropriate ways (e.g., as flatsurfaces having matching thicknesses as shown, as curved complementaryregions or other complementary shapes, etc.).

FIG. 8 illustrates a rear view of the shoe 100. FIG. 9 illustrates arear view of the shoe 100 in the open position.

FIG. 10 illustrates a rear perspective view of a first alternative easyaccess shoe 1000 in the open position. In this example, the shoeincludes a protruding “lip” 1010 that forms a partially enclosed heelcup to generate a more secure fit when the shoe is worn. Such a lip mayextend upwards from the sole approximate one half inch to one inch andmay provide a smaller opening when the shoe is in the open position thatstill allows a user to easily change into or take off the shoe.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of a second alternative easy access shoe1100. In this example, the shoe is a loafer or moccasin style shown withno external straps or other visible connecting features. The twoconnecting regions 1110 and 1120 may each include one or more connectingfeatures such as a post hinge, magnetic connectors, latches, canvas,etc.

In some embodiments, the connecting regions may include one or morespring hinges or other appropriate features that may allow the heel tomove relative to the body of the shoe. In some embodiments, such springhinges may be manipulated by a wearer through positioning or movement ofthe foot within the shoe. For instance, when a foot slides into the shoeopening, the heel section may automatically be drawn closed by anattachment such as a strap inside the shoe. As another example, a usermay “unlock” a shoe for removal by twisting or otherwise positioning afoot within the shoe.

FIG. 12 illustrates a rear view of a third alternative easy access shoe1200. As shown, the shoe may include a zipper closure 1210 that runsalong the top of lip 1010 and the bottom of the moveable heel 120 and upto the top of the shoe wall as illustrated. In this example, hinge 1220may be “hidden” or invisible such that the exterior and interior of theshoe appear to form continuous surfaces when the shoe 1200 is in aclosed position.

FIG. 13 illustrates a rear perspective view of the shoe 1200. As shown,the shoe may include a shield or protective element 1310. The shield mayprovide a soft, smooth surface when the show is worn to protect fromcatching skin or clothing on the zipper 1210 and/or otherwise causingdiscomfort. The shield 1310 may run along the inside surface of the showand be attached to the lip 1010 and/or heel portion 120. The shield 1310may be made of various appropriate materials (e.g., spandex).

FIG. 14 illustrates a rear view of the shoe 1200 in a closed position.

FIG. 15 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe 1200. As shown,the shoe may include an additional loop 1510 for grabbing, placing,and/or otherwise manipulating the shoe. Such a loop may be used by agrabber or reacher tool (e.g., a pole or rod with a hook at one end)that allows users with limited physical capabilities to manipulate theshoe. In addition, this view shows hidden hinge 1520, where the hinge isconcealed within the wall of the shoe 1200 so as to be imperceptible toothers.

FIG. 16 illustrates a side perspective view of the shoe 1200 with acontrasting zipper head 1610 and interior 1620. The zipper head 1610 maybe a different color than the exterior of the shoe in order to aidvisually impaired users. Likewise, as shown, other features such as theinterior 1620 of the shoe 1200 may include contrasting colors or othervisual aid features for those with impairments such as maculardegenerations, cataracts, retinopathy, etc. Alternatively orconjunctively to using contrasting colors, some embodiments may includeother differentiating features that may aid users in identifying and/ormanipulating various aspects of the shoe 1200. Such features may includevisual features (e.g., color, patterns, graphics, etc.), tactilefeatures (e.g., changes in texture, hardness, friction, material type,etc.), and/or other appropriate features that may help users identifythe various components of the shoe.

FIG. 17 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the shoe 1200 with analternative closure element 1710 and an exemplary sole 1720. The closureelement 1710 (or “manipulation feature”) may be attached to the zipperhead and may allow users with grip or reach limitations to manipulatethe zipper. The closure element may include a receptacle such as a hole,loop, or other appropriate feature that allows the closure to bemanipulated by a grabber or other appropriate tool. The closure elementmay be a contrasting color to the other external features of the shoe.The closure element may be able to be secured to the side of the shoe(e.g., using hook-and-loop elements).

The sole 1720 may include an anti-slip texture as shown. In addition,some embodiments may include a wider outer sole than standard footwearto provide improved stability. Some embodiments may include texturedand/or fragments inner and/or outer soles to optimize somatosensoryfeedback for individuals with sensory impairment.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the footweardescribed above in reference to FIGS. 1-17 was presented for examplepurposes only and that different embodiments may be implemented invarious different ways without departing from the spirit of theinvention. For instance, although the heel of some embodiments is shownas rotating at an inside connection point, the heel may rotate from anoutside connection point in some embodiments. As another example,although the securing strap of some embodiments is shown as passingthrough a loop, different embodiments may fix one end of such a strap(e.g., using adhesive) and allow the other end to be attached to anassociated region on the shoe body (e.g., using hook and loopconnectors). In addition, different embodiments may use elements havingdifferent shapes and/or relative sizes that shown. Furthermore,different embodiments may be implemented using various differentcombinations of materials (e.g., rubber, foam, leather, canvas or otherfabric, synthetic materials, plastic, metal, etc.) in addition to and/orin place of those described above.

The foregoing relates to illustrative details of exemplary embodimentsof the invention and modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:
 1. An article of footwear comprising: a main body; a heelportion coupled to the main body using an attachment feature that allowsthe heel portion to move about an axis; and a zipper closure thatsecures the heel portion in a closed position relative to the main body.2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the axis is perpendicularto a sole of the article of footwear.
 3. The article of footwear ofclaim 2, wherein the attachment feature comprises a hinge.
 4. Thearticle of footwear of claim 1, wherein the zipper closure runs along alip of the main body of the shoe and an associated surface of the heelportion.
 5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the zipperclosure comprises a manipulation feature that extends out from thezipper and includes a receptacle that is able to accept a reacher tool.6. The article of footwear of claim 1 further comprising a tongue thatis coupled to the main body such that the tongue is held in a fixedposition relative to the main body.
 7. The article of footwear of claim1 further comprising a sole having an anti-slip texture.
 8. An easyaccess shoe comprising: a main body; a heel portion coupled to the mainbody, wherein the heel portion is able to be selectively positioned toallow a size of an access opening formed between the main body and theheel portion to be selectively increased or decreased; and a zipperclosure that secures the heel portion to the main body in a closedposition.
 9. The easy access shoe of claim 8, wherein the heel portionis coupled to the main body using a hinge.
 10. The easy access shoe ofclaim 9, wherein the hinge allows the heel portion to rotate about anaxis that is perpendicular to a sole of the shoe.
 11. The easy accessshoe of claim 8, wherein the main body comprises a lip extending from asole and sides of the main body such that a heel cup is formed in themain body adjacent to a section of the heel portion.
 12. The easy accessshoe of claim 11, wherein the zipper closure runs along the lip.
 13. Theeasy access shoe of claim 12 further comprising a liner element thatruns along the zipper closure at an interior surface of the easy accessshoe.
 14. The easy access shoe of claim 8, wherein the easy access shoeis one of an athletic shoe, a dress shoe, a slip-on shoe, a sandal, anda boot.
 15. A shoe comprising: a main body; a first hinge sectioncoupled to the main body; a second hinge section coupled to the firsthinge section and a heel; and a zipper closure that couples the heel tothe main body in a closed position.
 16. The shoe of claim 15, whereinthe first hinge section and second hinge section form an axis ofrotation between the main body and the heel, and wherein the axis ofrotation is perpendicular to a sole of the shoe.
 17. The shoe of claim15, wherein the heel extends from an outside wall of the shoe to aninside wall of the shoe forming a symmetrical “U” shape about a centerline of the shoe.
 18. The shoe of claim 15 further comprising a linerthat runs along the zipper closure at an interior surface of the shoe.19. The shoe of claim 15 further comprising a wide outer sole thatprovides increased stability.
 20. The shoe of claim 15, wherein at leastone of an inner sole and an outer sole includes a texture that providesincreased somatosensory feedback.